Two Young Men Likely to Play
Big Roles in Telecom Giant

By

Dionne Searcey

Updated March 7, 2006 12:01 a.m. ET

Over the years, AT&T Inc. chairman Edward Whitacre and BellSouth Corp. chief executive Duane Ackerman had talked many times about a deal before they finally agreed to the largest one in the history of the U.S. telecommunications industry.

In two years, though, both likely will be retired.

Before the deal Randall Stephenson, AT&T's chief operating officer, and Mark Feidler, who held the same title at BellSouth, were...